There is a scene in Jacob's Ladder, where Jezebel tells Jacob that she hates her name and she prefers to be called Jessie.
The same happens in a passage of Asimov's Caves of Steel, where the author explains that Baley's wife hates her name (Jezebel), and prefers to be called Jessie.
In both the movie and the book, the biblical Jezebel is referenced.
Just wondering if that was intended or not
Wow, you caught that too.
shareprobably an indication of how much baggage that particular name carries with it
The sound of the name creates a kind of an image of in our minds when we hear it, so it gets used as a quick way to incite a feeling about a person. Interestingly, the origins of the name is very similar to Isabel, a name which carries none of those things with it.
In this movie, the negative connotations we bring in with us are juxtaposed with the safe harbor which she provides for Tim Robbin's character. When she lashes out at the photos, and at him to pull himself together, we aren't sure whether to take her as a negative influence in his life, a positive one, or an innocent neutral character trying to understand his actions.
I thought it was a very clever choice for a character's name, in that case.
Of course, the other part is that, in the context of the story, he is cheating on his wife with her (spoiler alert) depending on how you chose to view the timeline of the story (is he divorced, or simply imagining what he might do if he ever gets back home from the war?).